


One More

by chinkychunk



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 08:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17341961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chinkychunk/pseuds/chinkychunk
Summary: JYP Academy's volleyball team is in trouble. Its vice-captains, Im Nayeon and Yoo Jeongyeon, have been at each other's throats since they were kids. With a championship game on the line, now more than ever, the team needs them to settle their differences and somehow manage to pull through the challenge together. But is there more to their constant bickering than meets the eye?





	One More

JYP Academy. A haven for young overachievers. A school renowned for its disciplined population of students, who strove to be the best in their respective sports and activities. After a rigorous school day, the students immediately went to their specific training grounds. The atmosphere was always filled with a sort of electric tension that fueled the concentration of many students. This tension was so tangible that any noise could disrupt its fragile existence and knock some helpless student out of "the zone".

Which is why most club rooms and students opted to stay away from the volleyball gym after school.

* * *

"Im Nayeon, for the last time, we need to focus on our receives! How do you expect us to score any points in the game if our defense is weak? We need to practice digging and diving drills!"

"Well, Yoo Jeongyeon, when will _you_ get it through your thick head that a good defense means nothing unless we have a strong offense! We need to work on our spikes! Do you honestly expect us to magically rack up points just by saving the ball until the other team makes a mistake? No, we have to force them to make mistakes. Strong, hard spikes will win the game!"

"A consistent and balanced defense is what determines the outcome of a game!"

"This is a championship match! We're not going up against some rookie team that doesn't know how to manage a long rally!"

"Speaking of rookies, you can't expect the rookies on our team to magically develop their spiking this close to the match. They're not going to learn to jump a foot higher or spike harder just because you want them to! We need to get them used to the defensive formations now!"

"Defensive formations can wait! We need to prioritize a strong offense! We've still got one week before the championship. That's enough time to get everyone's spiking form right. Even _you_ could use some fine-tuning!"

Nayeon's sudden remark stung, and Jeongyeon visibly recoiled in surprise.

The captain of the volleyball team, Park Jihyo, waded into the argument as soon as things got personal. "That's enough, you two! Honestly, it's bad enough that you won't stop screeching in the middle of practice. Even worse, you're setting a bad example for the kids!" She gestured at the six other members of the team, who were stuck in their tracks and gaping at the conflict unfolding right in front of them.

"I'm setting the bad example?" protested Nayeon. "Jeongyeon started it!"

"Me?" scoffed Jeongyeon, crossing her arms. "You're the one who's always yelling that it's time to do spike approaches. You don't even listen to us anymore. You started this!"

Before Nayeon could open her mouth to reply, Jihyo moved right between them and yelled with authority, "Well, _I'm_ ending this. Both of you, get out of this gym. Right now! Take a ten-minute break! I don't care what you do to calm down. Yoo Jeongyeon, clean my locker! Im Nayeon, I don't know -- go eat some ice cream! I don't want either of you at practice when you're wound up like this. Go. Now!"

Somewhat surprised with Jihyo's sudden (and extremely loud) outburst, both Nayeon and Jeongyeon took one last chance to glare at each other, then turned and left the gym through opposite exits. Jeongyeon headed to the locker room (presumably to clean Jihyo's locker as ordered), while Nayeon went to the water fountain outside.

Jihyo sighed in relief. Practice was always more difficult to manage when those two were at each other's throats.

"Ummm... Captain?" Jihyo turned to face the younger members. "Which drill are we going to do next?"

"Form your lines, girls. We're gonna do figure of 8 drills!" _Back to work_ , thought Park Jihyo, though she was still worried about her best friends.  _They'll come back when they've calmed down._

* * *

Spraying herself with ice cold water from the drinking fountain always worked to calm Im Nayeon. She let the water splash over her face then slapped her cheeks in frustration. After pacing in the corridor for a few minutes, she finally sat down on a bench in the courtyard.

"Nayeon unnie, you shouldn't have said that to Jeongyeon unnie. You hurt her feelings," said a soft voice from behind her.

Nayeon spun around in surprise and sighed in relief, when she realized it was just Chou Tzuyu, a first-year on the team.

"Tzuyu, you scared me!" Nayeon laughed then hung her head in shame. "Yeah, I know I shouldn't have said that... It's just that she got me so riled up."

Tall for her age, Tzuyu was a reliable middle blocker, but she moved silently like a cat. She sat beside Nayeon, her posture straight as a ruler like always. "It's like this every training session. You and Jeongyeon unnie are always fighting. I thought you were supposed to be childhood friends," she said bluntly. Tzuyu always had a knack for getting straight to the point -- a habit that Nayeon honestly appreciated.

Nayeon sighed and replied, "We are childhood friends. By that, I mean, we were pretty close growing up. It was always me, Jeongyeon, and Jihyo. We joined the volleyball together back in middle school. We've been together on this team for almost six years."

"So why do you keep fighting?"

Nayeon paused and considered her answer. "She just doesn't understand. We have to win. We have to finish this tournament with a bang. Tzuyu, this could be my last volleyball match. I don't know if I'll continue in college. It could also be Jeongyeon's and Jihyo's last one. That's why we have to win no matter what."

Shifting to face Nayeon, Tzuyu looked into her eyes and said, "I feel like you're hiding something from me, unnie. There's more to this than just winning, isn't there?"

That caught Nayeon off-guard. She flinched and laughed, amused by Tzuyu's straightforward accusation. Thinking whether she should tell Tzuyu the full story, Nayeon bit her lip thoughtfully, then began, "Years ago, I told my childhood crush that I was going to be a champion by the time I reached high school. My crush just laughed it off, but ever since then, I've been determined to win a volleyball tournament. This is my last chance, Tzuyu. I promised myself that, if I didn't win this match, I wouldn't confess. Simple as that."

Nayeon jumped to her feet and turned to face Tzuyu with a smile. "Sorry for telling you such a lame story. That's basically my selfish reason for wanting to win this so bad. But I get what you're thinking. I shouldn't stress my friendship with Jeongyeon or the others on the team." She reached over to ruffle Tzuyu's neatly tied hair. "You're such a wise, tall maknae, Tzuyu!"

Tzuyu still looked at Nayeon thoughtfully and asked, "Unnie, about your childhood crush... Are you talking about--?"

"Nayeon unnie! Tzuyu! Jihyo unnie is calling us back for a practice match!" called Dahyun from the entrance of the gym.

"Coming!" responded Nayeon, as she dragged Tzuyu off the bench and ran back to practice with the tall maknae in tow.

* * *

"So... did you clean Jihyo's locker?" asked Momo as she walked out of the school gate beside Jeongyeon. The two of them were neighbors, so they often walked home together after volleyball practice.

"Yup, she told me to. And don't remind me about it. It was absolutely filthy. I have no idea why she dumps her trash in there. I saw a moldy pile of crushed Pocari Sweat cans at the back." Jeongyeon shuddered at the memory.

Momo laughed and continued, "Well, that's what you get for fighting with Nayeon unnie during practice again. Don't you two ever get sick of being at each other's throats?"

"Hey, in my defense, Nayeon started it! She's been insufferable this whole year. She's never been this annoying!" groaned Jeongyeon as they turned the corner. They stopped at a small cafe for a drink, and she continued her rant, "Honestly, I admire Nayeon. I do. She's a reliable spiker, definitely the ace of the team. But she doesn't know how to compromise and cooperate with the rest of us."

Momo took a sip from her drink and paused thoughtfully. "I see what you mean. Now that you mention it, Nayeon unnie seemed to have gotten more aggressive when this tournament started, especially when we made it into the finals."

"You see what I mean?" exclaimed Jeongyeon, leaning back in her chair and raising her arms in frustration. "She used to be fun! She used to beg the coach to let us play tag instead of running sprints around the track. She used to come up with all sorts of challenges, like setting the ball through basketball hoops for points. I miss that Nayeon."

"She's probably just stressed out," said Momo gently. "Unnie, this is your last year together on the team, with the rest of us. I'm sure she means well. Don't take things too personally. Worse comes to worst, we can always talk to her together."

"You're right," replied Jeongyeon with a sigh. "Momo-chan, you're so smart." Jeongyeon reached over as if to pat Momo's head, but instead snatched the last piece of her croissant off her plate and ate it.

"Hey!" yelled Momo in outrage. "I was saving that!"

Jeongyeon laughed with her mouth full and promised to buy Momo another. The problem of Im Nayeon's attitude was far from her mind now.

* * *

Jihyo was pleased that the next week of volleyball practice went by smoothly enough. Neither Nayeon nor Jeongyeon lost their tempers with each other. The entire team got a balanced training regimen. However, more than once, Jihyo could see Nayeon lost in thought. Tzuyu seemed to have noticed as well and often snapped Nayeon out of her reverie. Jeongyeon was back to playfully entertaining the younger members of the team.

Overall, it was a peaceful week for JYP Academy's volleyball team -- until the day of the championship came.

* * *

They had a good start in the first set. The team's receives were solid and accurate enough for Jihyo to diversify attacks. They were able to surprise their opponents with new combinations they practiced the week before. Nayeon didn't mind that Jihyo didn't toss her the ball that much in the first set; she knew she had to save her stamina for later in the match. They managed to win the first set by a good margin.

The second set was a close fight. They had managed to keep an even score against SM High School until the mid-twenties. But at a critical rally, the young libero, Chaeyoung, misjudged the trajectory of a spike and got hit straight in the face. That mistake caused her a severe nosebleed and cost the team the second set. Apologizing profusely to her upperclassmen, Chaeyoung had to be brought to the infirmary, which forced the team to undergo a drastic change of strategy.

With a critical role in their defense gone, the team suddenly had to go on the offensive. The third set was the last round, and unlike the previous two sets, this one would end at fifteen points. The stakes had gotten much higher.

* * *

"Jihyo! One more!" called Nayeon breathlessly as she ran back to position in preparation for a spike. Jihyo glanced at her and nodded, tossing the ball into an arc towards the net.

Nayeon ran and swung her arms back to propel her jump higher. She spiked the ball at the peak but grimaced when she saw the opponent libero save the ball on the other side. She ran back to position and shouted, "Again, Jihyo! One more!"

Jeongyeon looked at Nayeon with concern and told her, "Fall back! We'll handle the spikes! You need to switch out after this rally!"

"Look at Momo and Sana, Jeongyeon! Do you think they can spike at the moment?" hissed Nayeon as she watched the ball Jihyo was about to set in her direction.

Jeongyeon took a quick glance at the members Nayeon had named. They were also spikers but had been used frequently during the two earlier sets. They were panting out of breath and in no shape to keep up a consistent rally.

"Just let me handle this!" growled Nayeon as she spiked the ball harder over the net. The opposing blockers managed to tip the ball back immediately. Jihyo stumbled over her feet, so Jeongyeon had to sprint close to the net to save the ball. She dove out with her arms outstretched and felt the ball hit her forearms with a thump. She managed to get the ball over the net with that desperate dive. The entire team sighed with relief when they earned that point.

They ran towards the center for a quick huddle.

"Jihyo, the others are spent. Just send me the ball. I don't care how high or low it is. I'll hit it," said Nayeon seriously. Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu could only nod in agreement; they could barely speak.

"Nayeon, you need a break! You've been spiking nonstop for the past five rallies!" whispered Jeongyeon.

"And I'll keep spiking until we win this set!" snapped Nayeon in return. "I am not going to let us lose this match, Jeongyeon!"

Something about what Nayeon had said struck a chord in Jeongyeon. That tone, that determination, that passion -- it sounded almost familiar.

The referee blew the whistle, and the players returned to their positions. Jeongyeon glanced at the score: 14-13. They were leading, but the gap was only by one. It was a dangerous margin.

Jihyo started the rally with a strong serve. Unfortunately, it was immediately returned with a strong spike.

The score was tied: 14-14.

Momo received the opponent's serve with a grunt and sent the ball neatly to the center. Jihyo signalled to Nayeon and tossed the ball in her direction.

At that moment, Jeongyeon could have sworn that Nayeon's form was perfect. She had jumped high with her arm pulled back, ready to whip the ball down. The fluorescent lights of the gymnasium had managed to shine perfectly above her, framing her with white light. Strands of her hair were falling out of her loose ponytail; her jersey was covered in sweat and dirt from the court. But none of that mattered.

At that moment, Jeongyeon could have sworn that Im Nayeon was perfect.

But not even Im Nayeon's perfect spiking form could overpower a three-man block. Her spike was quickly rejected and slammed back down.

SM High School was in the lead: 15-14. They barely had any time to catch their breaths, as the final rally began.

Perhaps due to nerves, the opponent's serve was quite weaker than usual. Tzuyu received it and passed it to Jihyo.

"Jihyo, give it to me! One more time!" yelled Nayeon.

"You just got triple-teamed!" shouted Jihyo in response. "They're watching you!" Instead, Jihyo tossed to Sana, who managed to pull off a decent back attack.

As the opponents scrambled on the other side, Nayeon responded, "I'll break through the blocks! I promise! Just send me the ball!"

Jeongyeon traded worried glances with Jihyo. Both of them could sense that something else was clearly bothering Nayeon and keeping her from thinking clearly. Jeongyeon silently gestured that she would call for the next few spikes until Nayeon calmed down.

She never managed to make those calls.

All of a sudden, the other team managed to pull off a quick spike -- aimed right at Nayeon.

* * *

Nayeon saw the spike coming. She instinctively took a step back but slipped on a puddle of sweat from the previous rally. In a panic, she looked up and realized the ball was almost there.

_I really thought we could win this match. I guess... my confession will have to wait._

She closed her eyes and hoped she would at least manage to deflect the ball upwards for the others to save. She heard the ball hit with a strong whomp, but she didn't feel the pain. She felt the ball roll against her foot, so she figured it was safe to open her eyes.

In front of her was Jeongyeon, clutching the side of her face where the ball had struck her.

Nayeon didn't even hear the referree's whistle which signalled the end of the game. She didn't even see the opposing team celebrating on the other side of the court. She didn't even feel Jihyo's comforting arm around her shoulders as she led the team to line up.

All she knew was that Yoo Jeongyeon had gotten hurt for her.

* * *

"Forget No Jam Bros!" cried Chaeyoung with a wide smile. "Today, Jeongyeon unnie, you and I are Nosebleed Bros!"

"I love that!" bellowed Jeongyeon, slapping Chaeyoung on the back as she laughed.

After the tournament's awarding ceremonies, the team had returned to JYP Academy to bring back the equipment. After quick showers, the rest of the team had headed to a nearby restaurant to celebrate placing 2nd. Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon had stayed behind for a second check-up at the school clinic, but the nurse just told them that they would be fine. They hurried back to the locker room for their stuff but were surprised to discover that they weren't alone.

"Nayeon unnie, what are you doing here?" asked Chaeyoung. "I thought you went ahead with everyone else!"

Looking flustered, Nayeon stood by her open locker and rummaged through it haphazardly. "Uh-- I forgot my wallet! So I came back to get it!" She glanced at Chaeyoung and added, "You might want to hurry to the restaurant, Chaeyoung. Momo's been hogging the strawberries the whole time. She might finish the whole order."

"What?! No! Momo unnie knows I want some!" Chaeyoung grabbed her belongings and ran out of the room, only shouting a faint goodbye as she sprinted in the hallway.

Confused, Jeongyeon paused and asked, "Why would Momo be eating strawberries already? The fruits are served as dessert, and you all just arrived at the restaurant."

"I lied," replied Nayeon cheerfully, sitting on the bench in the middle of the room. "I just wanted to talk alone with you for a while."

"About what?"

"Thank you," answered Nayeon while looking down at the bench and doodling idly with her finger. "You didn't have to cover me from that ball, but you did. Also, I'm sorry for the past couple of weeks. I know I've been... difficult."

Jeongyeon laughed hoarsely and responded, "That's an understatement! You've been unbearable! But you're forgiven." She sat beside Nayeon on the bench and continued, "It seems like you've had a lot on your mind, after all. I kind of realized how stressed you must have been, especially during that last set."

"Really?" Nayeon wouldn't look at Jeongyeon. Instead she focused on tracing some inscrutable letters on the wooden bench. "What did you notice?"

Jeongyeon paused thoughtfully and continued, "I don't know... It just seemed like that set was more important to you. Like it was more than just a game. I mean, I know it was our last game together, and that made it a really special match. But there was just a different vibe coming off you. What were you worried about?"

Nayeon didn't answer. She doodled on.

Jeongyeon gently placed her hand on Nayeon's and tilted her chin up. "Nayeon, are you okay? You can tell me anything--" She stopped when she realized that Nayeon's eyes were filled with tears.

"I failed to keep my promise," whispered Nayeon. "I'm sorry, Jeongyeon. I couldn't make us champions before high school ended." She stood up to leave, but Jeongyeon tightened her grip around her wrist and pulled her back down to the bench.

Jeongyeon grinned at Nayeon cheekily. "That's what you've been worried about? A promise we made as kids? This is what you've been stressing over? Im Nayeon, you worry about the strangest things."

"You-- you remember?" stammered Nayeon. "You didn't forget the promise?"

"More like, it seems like you've forgotten the rest of the promise," scolded Jeongyeon gently, pulling Nayeon in closer for a hug.

"The rest of the promise?"

"Back then, you said, 'I'm going to be a champion in volleyball before we graduate high school!' But after that, I told you, 'Even if you don't, promise me you'll always be my best friend.' You agreed. You kept your promise, Im Nayeon." Jeongyeon smiled at the memory and gently stroked Nayeon's hair.

"But... what if I want more?" asked Nayeon in a small voice, hiding her face against Jeongyeon's shoulder.

"More what--"

Jeongyeon barely finished her question, because she was silenced by Nayeon's lips against hers.

It was the kind of kiss that was equal parts question and statement. Hard enough to feel the pressure, but soft enough to make Jeongyeon question if this was really happening. Long enough for her realize that it was real, but short enough to make her wonder if she had imagined it when Nayeon pulled away.

The taste of Nayeon's cherry lipbalm lingered on her lips.

"Well?" asked Nayeon almost defiantly, as if she was daring Jeongyeon to take the plunge.

Jeongyeon paused, smiled, and pulled her back in.

"One more."

 

 


End file.
